Why this matters
Unstructured get-to-know-you chats mostly measure charm, and charm doesn't stock shelves or ship code. Decades of selection research show structured interviews — same questions, defined scoring — predict job performance far better than winging it. References are the cheapest background check you'll run, and most small employers skip them.
What "done" looks like
- A written list of 5–8 questions asked of every candidate in the same order
- Scores written right after each interview, not from memory days later
- Two references actually called for the finalist — dates and title verified, performance discussed
How to do it
- Write questions from the duties in your job definition — one question per critical duty.
- Ask behavioral questions: "Tell me about a time you handled an angry customer" beats "Are you good with people?"
- Score immediately on a simple scale per criterion, before discussing the candidate with anyone.
- Stay off illegal ground — age, family plans, health, religion, and similar topics are off-limits.
- Call two references for the finalist. Verify employment dates and title, ask about strengths, and close with: would you hire them again?
Common mistakes
- Improvising different questions per candidate, making comparison impossible and bias easy.
- Talking 80% of the interview — you learn nothing while selling the job.
- Skipping reference calls; verifying dates and title alone catches embellished resumes.
Real-world examples
- Schmidt and Hunter's 1998 meta-analysis of 85 years of selection research found structured interviews substantially more predictive of performance than unstructured ones.
- Google runs structured interviews and publishes free guidance through its re:Work project, reporting better prediction and less interviewer bias.
From a founder's point of view
Structure feels stiff for a small shop, but it's a defense against your own first impressions. The candidate who interviews best and the candidate who works best are often different people; a scorecard is how you notice.
Rule of thumb
Same questions, written scores, two reference calls. If you decided before the scorecard was filled in, you didn't interview — you chatted.